Why There's No "Right" Time To Have Sex

How Long People Really Wait To Have Sex

Imagine you’re on the best date of your life with the person you suspect is The One. The sexual chemistry is palpable, but you’re looking for a long-term thing — not just a hookup. Should you jump into bed with him or her as soon as you’re alone? Or should you wait until you’ve gone out on a few more dates before sleeping together?

The short answer: Do whatever the hell you want.

With Americans staying single longer than ever and singles outnumbering their married counterparts, there really is no norm nowadays when it comes to the timing of sleeping with new partners. According to Pew Research Center, as of 2007, only 38% of adult Americans believed premarital sex was wrong, a number that’s likely only gotten smaller in recent years. (FWIW, studies suggest that there’s good reason to get it on as soon as possible if you want to cash in on awesome honeymoon-phase sex.)

Like we said, there’s no “right” time; deciding when you’re ready to have sex with someone is really a different-strokes-for-different-folks kind of thing. But what leads couples to hit the sheets at any given moment in their relationship? And how does that timing affect their bond? To get a better idea, we asked women in long-term relationships to divulge how quickly they had sex with their significant others.